Electrically-driven clock and other electrically-driven running mechanism.



R- M. LOWNE.

ELECTRICALLY DRiVEN CLOCK AND OTHER ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN RUNNING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1B, 1911.

Patented Apr. 26,1915.

1N vE/v'roR;

WITNESSES;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

noBEnT MANN towns, or cATFonD, ENGLAND.

ELECTRICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCK AND OTHER ELECTRICALIJY-DRIVEN BUNTNING MECHANISM.

Application filed November 1 8, 1911. Serial No. 660,977.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT MANN LowNu, subject of the King'of Great Britain, residing at No. 108 Bromley road, Catford, in the county of Kent, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Driven Clocks and other Electrically- Driven Running Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in. electrically driven clocks and other electrically driven running mechanisms.

The principal feature'of the present invention resides in the means adopted for abstracting a portion of the mechanical energy, rendered available on the intermittent completion of an electric circuit through thewinding of an elcc tro-magnet, and employing such abstracted energy to eifect a repetition of the intermittent com-.

pletion of the electric circuit, the remainder of the energy rendered available by the energizing of the electric circuit being-employed in urging the hands of a clock, the striking mechanismof a clock or other running mechanism. I

Another important feature of this invention resides in the special means which are employed to silence the intermittent action of the mechanism of an electric clock. The means employed, in achieving the ob-. ject first mentioned, comprise twoinsulated rotating elements which are so mounted that portions thereof move approximately along the same circular path, one, called the pursued element, being caused to intermittently advance and separate itself from theother element called the Pursuer, the

latter, by the effort rendered available on effecting the separation being endowed with sufficient energy to enable it to continue the pursuit, the overtaking of the pursued element causing the energization of an electromagnet and the forced displacement ofthe armature thereof,thus providing the requisite energy-to drive therunning mechanism and reinstate suflici'nt energy in the .pursuer to enable it to continue .its pursuit and repeat'the operation of drawing on the source of electrical energy to continue the performance.

Specific embodiments of this portion of the invention and also of the silencing de-: vices will be described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a plan of construction embodying the first menti'oned driving feature of this invention. Fig. 2-shows, in elevation,'a portion of the specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apn'2o, 1915, i

mechanism of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 as a plan View showing an' arrangement which is alternative to a portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa,

planview of a portion of an electric clock which embodies the silencing features in addition to the driving device, Fig. 5 being a sectional elevation of the mechanism taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 4;.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, A is the beforementioned pursued element and B the pursuer. These two elements are c0- axially mounted, one on spindle a and the other on spindle b and are normally insu lated from each other. The element A comprises a ratchet-wheel a to which is secured a post carrying an electric terminal-a, and on the opposite side of the axis of A an insulated push-piece a To the spindle of the pursuing element B an arm I) .is securedwhich carries an electric terminal 6 and a spring 6 fixed to the arm at one end and adapted to be bent. away from thearm at the other end. The element A is connected to the parts to be driven, as for example the hands of a turret or other clock, the striking mechanism of a clock or other mechanism to which an urging force is required 'to be applied. The. element B is,

for most purposesyconnected to a mechanism. whereby it isconstrained from an instantaneous overtaking of A, as for example by an escapement contrivance or by the, vane device which controls the rate of movement of the striking mechanism of a clock or alternatively by a fly-wheel. These mechanisms are not shownon the drawing.

For the purpose of operating the above described mechanism a,, source of electrical energy is provided, indicated by a battery 0, an electro-magnet d and a. pivotedarmihture 0. This latter carries a pawl e adapted to engage with the teeth of the beforementioned ratchet-wheel o and a spring e adapted to serve as aflterminal or starlet" maker and breaker witha terminal f'which is secured to the frame-plate of the machine. A spring 9' is also provided whereby the 5 armatureis withdrawn from the'poles of the electromagnet, when the'latter is deenergized? I x The electricficircuit, when complete, 1s along the lead b the winding of the elec- 1o tro-magnet, the lead 7& the spindle 1), arm 6 and when 6 and a are in contact, ,through the ratchet-wheel a its spindle a,

'the lead i to" the. armature e and spring 7 e and, whenthe latter; is in vcontact with the terminahf, the circuit is completed back to the second pole-.;;of the battery 0 by the lead k When the circuit is thus closed the electro-magnet-Jwill be energized and attract the armature en The consequent 2O angular displacement of e will, before itis completed, cause the separation of the spring c from the terminal and break the circuit, permitting the spring 9 to withdraw the armature from the electro-magnet and, through the medium of the pawl e forcethe ratchet-wheel a through a small angle. In this manner an effort will be rendered available to drive the mechanism connected'toA. In the resulting movement of the ratchet-wheel the terminal 6 will be left behind by the terminal a gap in the electric circuit. 1

The angular displacement of the ratchet- .wheel, relatively to the arm I), will also cause the spring 6 to be bent; away from tie arm by the push-piece; a .v The push- P t sprmgb? and enable are apply a rotat ve effort to the elementB and cause its terniiinal 32- to presently overtake the termi- .nal 2 and re-close the electric circuit andso rep at the performance.

I- have found that the above described operation is not absolutely dependent on 5 the breaking of the circuit between 6 and f,

for the recoil of the armature, at the termination of its inward swing, will ordinarily cause the breal ring of the circuit be tween Z2 and a but it will in general. be advantageous to provide the additional break in the electric circuit as described,

In Fig. 3, a device is shown whereby, on the completionof the approach of the armature toward the electro-magnet, the

'55 circuit is positively broken between the pursued. and pursuing elements, the urging force for driving the mechanism connected to the pursued element and the re-instato m'ent'in the pursuer of thenecessaryenergy to inaintain the pursuit being derived duning the springoperated. withdrawal of the armature as inFig. In Fig. 3 art's which correspond "with'Fig. 1 are similarly lettered. The tail of the pivoted armature, e carries a rollerc which on, the approach to 'the present invention.

a and cause ece will now serve as an". abutment for of the armature toward the electro-magnet engages with a lever pivoted at k and carrying a click k which engages with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel a in a manner similar to the engagement of the pawl c which is carried by the armature. With such a mechanism, the approach of the. armature toward the electro-magnet will cause the click k to sufficiently advance the ratchet'wheel a to separate the terminals of'the pursued and pursuing elements thus insuring the return of the armature by the spring 9, during which return the pawl e will complete. the advance of the ratchet- Wheel and reinstate the energy inthe spring which is required to urge the pursuing ele ment B.

Figs. land 5 show the portions of an electrically-driven clock which are relevant These comprise, with a modified form of construction of some details, the driving feature of this invention and combined therewith the silencing devices. The parts which correspond with those of Figs. 1 and 2 are similarly lettered and the above description will to a considerable extent apply to the construetion shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Instead of the armature ofl'the electromagnet cl being so pivoted as to approach and recede from the electromagnet in the direction of the axis of the magnet, the armature m is, in a known manner, secured to a spindle m the axis of which is parallel to the axis ofthe electro-magnet, the armature being so constrained, when withdrawn by the spring 1?. that its center line takes a position which is approximately at an angle of 45 with the linewhich joins the two poles of the electro-m'ag'net d.

On the completion of the electric-circuit and energization of the elcctro-magnet, the armature will be angularly displaced by the magnetic force in the direction towar'd the line which joins the two poles of the-ma net. In this movement an arm secured to the spindle m and provided with a pin m to which is connectedthe -pawl 0, is so angularly displaced-as to withdraw the pawl from the ratchet-wheel sufiiciently to enable it to engage with the next tooth, the tensionof, the spring n, which is sec'uredto ing, when the electric-circuit is broken, to return the armature to its normal position and provide the force .necessaryto urge the ratchet-wheel and the mechanisms connected therewith, including the terminal a and the puslrpiece a whichare carried on an arm a secured to the spindle a of the pursued element. i 1 e v The pursuing element comprises a halance-whecl escapement mechanism contained in the case 7), shown in Fig. 5 but omitted from Fig. 4. This mechanismmay be of the pawl, being thereby increased and servwatchlike dimensions as its only duty is to rotate the arm 6 of the pursuing element under the influence of'the slight strain of ried by the post 8 which is in electrical connection with the frame-plate. When the electro-magnet is energized, apin it, carried on an arm secured to the spindle m of the armature, presses on thelower spring a, and

separates its extremity from that of the spring (1 and permits thearmature to return to its normal position under the action of the spring n. The electric circuit from and to the battery 0, when complete, is provided by the following sequence of elements :The lead It, winding of electro-ma-gnet (1, lead It, case p, spindle b of pursuing element, arm 6 terminals b a when in contact, arm a", frame-plate 1", post 8 post g and leads h an construction, as above described, the only cause whereby an audible sound could be produced is that which occurs on the contact of the pawl 0 and the click uwith the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. To eliminate or minimize sounds from such a cause, the extremities of the pawl and click are provided with.

' ing a noisy contact with the succeeding tooth a spring a, a being a spring'which maintains the clickin contact with the ratchetwheel.

In Fig. 4 is shown a disk a: mounted on the spindle m of the armature and frictionally connected theretoby aspring w. By the aid of this device, abruptness in the movement of the armature is lessened with s rim 8 sprin q TVith sue a advantage in respectto-increased silence in the action of the mechanism.

I claim:

'1. An intennittently-actuated electricallydriven mechanism comprising, in combination with a source of electricity, an electromagnet, an electric-circuit which includes the winding of the magnet and a pivoted armature, contact carriers, a pursued and a pursuing electric-contact so secured to said carriers as to move'in the same circular path,

a spring mounted on the contact-carriers and so interposed between them as to urge 'thepursuing-contact, a time-expending device opposing the free advancefof the pursuing-contact and means for advancing the pursued-contact by the displacement of the said armature; the arrangement being such that, when the pursued-contact is'overtaken by the pursuer, pressure is exerted thereon. in the direction of movement for a length of time only sufficient to energize the ,electro magnet, the armature of which forthwith advances the pursued-contact and reinforces .the energy in the spring carried therewith.

I pursuing electric-contact so secured to said carriers as to move in the'same circular path, a spring mounted on the contact-car: riers and so interposed between them as to urge the pursuing-contact, a time expending device opposing the free advance of the pur-- suing-contact, a second pair of contacts in the said circuit and means for advancing the pursued-contact by the displacement of the said armature; the arrangement being such that, when the pursued contact is overtaken by the pursuer, pressure is exerted thereon in the direction oi movement for a length of time only suificient to energize the electro-magnet, the armature of which separates'the contacts of the said second pair, forthwith advances the pursued-contact and reinforces the energy in the spring carried therewith.

' 3. An intermittently-actuated electricallydriven mechanism comprising, in combination with a source of electricity, an electromagnet, an electro-circuit which includes the sued-contact by thedisplacement of the Said 4 mee aeoarmature; the arrangement being such that, In testimony'whereof I have signed my when the pursued-contact is overtaken by name to this specificatien in the presence of 10 tge gursuer, pxiessure is exeited theme}? :11; two subscribing Witnesses. V

t e irection o movement er a engt 0 5 time only sufficient to energizethe elecgzro- 1 R B MANN, N

magnet, the arm-leisure of which forthwith .Witnesses: advances the pm"med-contact and reinforces F. W. LANE, the energy in thc spring Carried. therewith; H. D. JAMESON. 

